Can't get my Tak camera angle adjuster off

I put on a camera angle adjuster on my Tak FS-102 to allow easier positioning of finder and eyepiece when using a diagonal.

I was trying to remove it, though it wasn't absolutely necessary, when sending in the focuser to Takahashi America for adjustment. Since I couldn't remove it, I sent in the focuser with the CAA attached.

It's not usually necessary to remove it, but sometimes I need more room to focus certain eyepieces and the extra inch or so taken up by the CAA does make a difference.

I removed the tiny set screw but couldn't get the thing off. Is it really that hard to remove? Is there a trick? I know I could use a strap wrench but don't have one - just wanted to hear your experiences here before I go out and get one.

The tiny set screws hold the two half's of the CAA together so replace it.

There is no trick to remove the CAA it just unscrews BUT , if you just twist the CAA off of the focuser, you are putting side pressure on the rack gear ( the rack gear sits in a slot in the focuser housing and is attached to the draw tube by two very small screws) too much twisting and you could rip the rack off!

So, to avoid that, you could back the draw tube all the way out and hold on to the draw tube with one hand while twisting the CAA with the other, that way no force is applied to the focuser housing/ rack gear. If you still can't unscrew it, get some one with strong hands to try and don't forget to wear rubber gloves ( like playtex dish washing gloves, that are soft and have grip pads on the fingers). Also if there is grease on the draw tube? you could clean it off with some alcohol on a rag so you can get a good grip.

I don't need to have it removed now, necessarily, but wanted to know what the trick was. I guess it was easy to thread on but very hard to take off for some reason. I will probably ask Fred Garcia (the guy who does all Tak work there in Houston) to loosen it for me so I could unscrew it if needed.

To get the CAA off, you have to tighten down the big knob that locks the rotation in place on the CCA itself. Rack the focuser out about 2 inches then tighen down the focuser also by the knob that locks the draw tube in place. Now you'll have enough space between the focuser and the CAA to just grab the CAA body only with one hand, and with your other hand holding the body of the scope, turn the CAA counter clockwise. Its suppose to be very difficult to get off or you didn't put it on right. But using this method, it will come right off. You just have to put some muscle into it. If you have to let someone else hold down the scope, thats fine, then get behind the scope and use two hands to grab the CCA to rotate it off, but you gotta really lock down that CCA knob or it will never grab on the main body of the CAA to remove it. I have a feeling your not locking down the CCA rotation knob before you try and unscrew it. Lock it down tight!

Theres no reason to disassemble it by removing any tiny set screws. If you do that, your gonna mess up the tension that keeps the rotation smooth and aligned as you rotate it. If you removed those tiny screws, and dont porperly set them correctly, your rotation is now going to feel lumpy and awkward.

Just do what I mentioned and give it some muscle.

You dont have to pay TNR to do something simple like that. They charge enough already for nonsense.